The modern name “India” ultimately derives from which geographical feature mentioned in ancient sources?

Introduction / Context:
The name of a country often reflects its geography or early cultural history. The word “India” is no exception: it has a long etymological journey passing through different languages. Understanding that journey helps clarify how outsiders and insiders referred to the subcontinent in antiquity and why the modern English term looks the way it does.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks from where the modern name “India” is ultimately derived.
• Options mention Hindus as a people, Aryans, the Indus River, and Lord Indra.
• We assume some familiarity with ancient rivers and how Persian and Greek texts referred to the region.

Concept / Approach:
The name “India” comes from the river Indus. In ancient Sanskrit, the river was called Sindhu. Old Persian changed the initial “s” sound to “h,” turning Sindhu into Hindu, a term that referred to the land around the Indus and its people. The Greeks, encountering this usage, rendered the word as Indos and the land as India. Over time, “India” became the standard name in European languages. Although the people living there later came to be called Hindus, and Aryans were an early group in the region, the root word is geographical: the Indus River, not a specific community or deity.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Start with the Sanskrit name Sindhu for the Indus River. Step 2: Recall that ancient Persians pronounced “s” at the start of certain words as “h,” so Sindhu became Hindu. Step 3: Understand that “Hindu” in early usage referred broadly to the people and land beyond the Indus, not just a religious identity. Step 4: Note that the Greeks adopted this term and used Indos for the river and India for the land. Step 5: Recognise that modern “India” in English directly reflects this Greek form based on the name of the river. Step 6: Conclude that the primary source of the name is the Indus River itself.

Verification / Alternative check:
Etymological dictionaries and historical studies on the name “India” consistently explain its origin as a sequence: Sanskrit Sindhu (Indus) → Old Persian Hindu → Greek Indos/India → Latin and modern European “India.” They emphasise that this chain begins with the name of the river, not with a group called Aryans or a deity such as Indra. This confirms that the Indus River is the correct starting point for the country's modern name.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• The Hindus: While the term “Hindu” eventually described people and religious identity, linguistically it comes from the river's name, not the other way around.
• The Aryans: A historical linguistic group whose migrations shaped early culture and language in the region, but the modern name “India” is not directly derived from their name.
• Lord Indra: A Vedic deity associated with thunder, rain, and war; the similarity in sound is coincidental, as “India” does not etymologically come from Indra.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners mistakenly assume that because “Hindu” and “India” are connected today, the name must derive from the people called Hindus. Others guess Lord Indra due to the similar sound. To avoid confusion, remember the clear etymological chain starting with the Indus River, whose ancient name Sindhu ultimately gave rise to both “Hindu” and “India.”

Final Answer:
The modern name “India” ultimately derives from the Indus River (Sanskrit Sindhu).